Date Added: 21-01-2005
Sending a child to camp is a rite-of-passage for many parents. They know their child will probably forget to write, might get homesick and will come home with irredeemably dirty socks. But most parents know the structured freedom of camp offers healthy challenges.
However, parents of children with special needs face additional worries. Medical and behavioral issues add complications. But parents can send their children to camp knowing there are facilities throughout New England with a solid history of taking good care of children with a wide scope of special needs. Each of these camps do three important jobs: They foster growth in children's lives, give parents some time for themselves, and provide networking for families who often have little chance to meet other parents who share similar experiences. And, quite often, they offer their services at little or no cost the families they help.
The highest growing special needs group are children with ADD and ADHD. According to Jeff Solomon, executive director of the National Camping Association, the need is sparking a shift in mainstream camps. A few years ago, camps didn't have the training to deal with behavioral issues. Now they do.
"Over the last five years mainstream camps have become more comfortable dealing with kids with AD and ADHD," Solomon said. "They know more about what to expect and are more at ease their medication needs."
In addition to the mainstream camps, parents can choose from a variety of camps catering specifically to their child's area of need. There are many of these camps in New England. But Solomon stressed that when it comes to kids with special needs or health issues, parents shouldn't be limited by geography. Each child is unique. If they find a program that seems well-suited to their child's specific needs there are ways to make a stay possible. Parents should start their search early and be prepared to be completely honest with camp staff about any needs or situations their child may encounter at camp.
Many camps go to great lengths to make their programs accessible to as many campers as possible. Camp Clara Barton for children with diabetes is one such camp. Based in North Oxford, the camp's van hits the road to bring camp to campers all over New England. They sponsor weeks in Central Park, Long Island, Worcester, and Greenwich, Connecticut. Clara Barton serves up swimming, field games and team building initiatives with a side order of diabetes education. They offer workshops wherever they are and teach kids how to care for themselves.
"We have trivia games we make it fun," said Kerry Packard, day camp director at Camp Clara Barton. "We use teachable moments help the kids gain ownership of their diabetes."
In addition, Camp Clara Barton offers scholarships, a sliding fee scale and refer people to organizations that can help them afford to send their kid to camp.
The Hole In the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Conn., is completely free for families. The camp, which is funded through donations, provides a place where children with severe medical conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anemia and other blood disorders can come and safely enjoy a week of camp. The camp employs 60 full-time staff members and each week houses 30-40 volunteer staff.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp experience helps boosts morale for kids and helps them feel better physically. Dr. Richard Kane, whose son attended the camp, said the good feelings inspired by a week at camp do a lot to conquer pain, sickness and fear. Many kids are healthier in part because camp makes them happier.
"You can have a kid in bed who is very run down and defeated about to throw up, or asking for morphine," explained Kane, who also serves on the camp's board of directors. "If you walk in and start talking about the summer, suddenly the anti-nausea drugs and the morphine seem worthless in comparison."
After learning about the camp from a hospital social worker, Kane sent his son, Daniel, to attend the program. The boy had undergone a year of intense chemotherapy when he was 12 to combat bone cancer. When Daniel arrived at camp, he was underweight, bald, in a full-length cast and in a wheelchair. The camp staff told Daniel he wouldn't be needing the wheelchair; the next day he was riding a horse. Nine days later his father could barely recognize his son. Daniel, who had gained ten pounds and started to re-grow his hair, was able to laugh again.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp keeps in touch with its campers, which helps keep kids going, especially when they are experiencing tough times.
"Daniel had some rough spots and had other surgeries," Kane said of his son. "When he woke up there would always be counselors in the room. He would be in bed feeling sorry for himself and someone would show up and say 'Get up, we're going out.'"
At any camp, staff members will say the most rewarding part of the job is making a difference. Witnessing and being part of a child's progress is what motivates staff members year after year.
Observing such positive strides is especially rewarding for Liana Pena Morgens, Ph.D., camp director for The Drama-Play Connection camp in Waltham. The camp serves kids with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, as well as related disorders for children who have a difficult time in social situations.
"On the last day of camp, parents were in tears when they saw their kids with friends," she said.
Whether your son or daughter has attention-deficit disorder or a life-threatening illness, there are many camps that can help enrich your child's life. No matter what camp you choose, each one offers moments that will live forever in the hearts of its campers. Parents can begin their search knowing that there are camps staffed with professionals who make it their summers labor to bring confident smiles to all kinds of kids.